


Doesn't Take A Genius

by coldfusion9797



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Age Difference, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mild Angst, Mornings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-19 14:29:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22712293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldfusion9797/pseuds/coldfusion9797
Summary: Tony has doubts. Bucky doesn't.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 85





	Doesn't Take A Genius

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TreasureHunterGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TreasureHunterGirl/gifts).



> Going through my old drafts and found this. My sister requested a Tony/Bucky fic back in the day. Here it is. And man, these two were hard to write, especially together. Hopefully they aren't too OOC. 
> 
> Headcanon for this is that Tony went to Wakanda and cured Bucky of his HYDRA brainwashing.

Like every morning, Tony wakes up beside the most beautiful person he has ever seen. Bucky is still sleeping, pretty face peaceful, relaxed, lush lips parted, slow, even breaths passing over them. He looks so innocent and young.

The Bucky with him now is different to the one he met in Wakanda. That one was guarded, troubled, haunted. This one is confident, vibrant, carefree.

Tony wants to touch him, is allowed to touch him, sometimes feels guilty about doing it, but does it anyway.

He leans down and presses his lips to soft, familiar, irresistable ones.

Bucky stretches long and lazy, eyes fluttering open, instantly filling with the light of a smile that pulls at his lips. A smile just for Tony.

"Morning," he purrs. Sleepy, content, happy. Full of life and potential. Tony feels like a thief.

"Hey," Bucky says softly, sitting up, smile faltering, brows drawing together with concern. Hands, both flesh and metal, coming up to smooth over Tony's face. "What's wrong?"

Tony tries to smile, wanting to soften the blow, but gives up and drops his eyes from Bucky's questioning gaze, huffing out a breath and trying to steel his resolve. But he can't think with Bucky's hands on him, so distinctive, one warm and one cool, so he reaches up and pulls them away. He holds on for a moment, brushes his thumb over the back of Bucky's flesh hand, thinks about how odd their hands look together, one smooth, the other lined with age, and then he lets go.

"Tony? You're starting to freak me out..."

Tony eyes move up again, greedily raking over Bucky's angelic face, taking one last fill before he's gone, but then he realises, it's already too late. The concerned look he's receiving isn't the ideal last memory. He wanted a happier one. But then, this isn't about him.

He lets go of Bucky's hand and sighs.

"What are we doing here, Bucky?"

"It's Sunday morning. We're sleeping in," Bucky says, trying to fend off the looming disaster. Tony's tempted to take the out. Pretend everything is fine. That he can keep robbing Bucky of the life he might have but he cares about him too much. Wants too many good things for him.

"I mean you. I'm twice your age. You've got everything ahead of you, you're wasting your second chance with someone as old as me."

Bucky blinks. Slow and long. Seems to come to the conclusion that there's nothing to worry about, let's a slow smile curl his lips.

"Actually, I'm twice your age. I thought you were supposed to be good with numbers."

"I am. You only get one second chance and this is yours. You shouldn't mess it up."

The smile slips off Bucky's face, a look of determination replacing it. 

"I only have my second chance because of you."

"You see?" Tony says, seizing anything he can to make his point. "What you think you feel is just misplaced gratitude."

The emotion that flashes across Bucky's face this time is closer to anger. He doesn't like being told how he feels. He suffered through seventy years of that already.

"You're hearing what you want to hear so you can find an easy way out. Go if it's what you want, but don't blame it on me. If you don't know how much I love you by now you never will. You'll break my heart but I'm not gonna beg you to stay."

For a moment Tony is struck speechless. Hard words, passionate and brutally honest. All things he loves about Bucky. Things that he feels are wasted on a washed up, old eccentric like himself. Still, Tony has enough decency left to repay honesty with honesty.

"I... I don't deserve you."

Cold resolve fills Bucky's eyes.

"That's not a game you wanna play, Tony. I guarantee you'll lose."

Tony's breath hitches, he's lead Bucky down the last path he ever intended to. He'd meant to make things better for the younger man, set him free from someone who is well past his prime. Instead he's pulled up painful memories and hurt the one person who might actually really love him. Maybe the only person who ever has, apart from his mother. Faced with the very real prospect of losing the best thing to happen to him in a long, long time, Tony is suddenly very sorry he had to poke. Why couldn't he just leave well enough alone?

"I've ruined this, haven't I?" he says with miserable certainty. 

Bucky scowls a moment longer before relenting a little, softness coming back into his expression.

"You're trying to, yeah. You're not doing a very good job though." Bucky leans in then and kisses him gently on the mouth. It's everything Tony knows and needs. Steady, certain, _real_. Bucky pulls back and looks determinedly into his eyes, sliding a hand behind Tony's neck, holding him firm, anchoring him to the moment. He speaks firmly and surely. "It's gonna take a lot more than crows feet and few extra candles on a birthday cake to scare me off. Everyone has doubts Tony, but something you never have to doubt are my feelings for you. I've seen enough of the world to know I'm right where I wanna be. I promise if you trust in that everything else will work itself out."

Tony is in awe. Stunned and amazed that this beautiful man truly wants him exactly as he is.

"You really do love me..." 

The smile Bucky gives him this time is a bright one, edged with maybe a hint of exasperation. 

"Yeah Tony, I really do. It doesn't take a genius to figure that much out." 

And this time when they kiss, Tony lets himself get lost in it because Bucky is right. No logic or analysis is necessary. What's going on here is pretty simple to figure out. They both found exactly what they needed, when they needed it. Yet after the pain had subsided and the wounds had begun to heal, when there should've been nothing left, there was. As well as finding what they needed, they both found what they wanted. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, Tony's being a bit dramatic, I imagine that he's about 46 and Bucky is around 30, because he was 27 when he went to war and who really knows with him being in and out of cryo. Anyway, in Tony's head this amounts to him being near enough to 50 and Bucky being in his 20's. Thanks for reading :)


End file.
